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Tuesday, March 31, 2020

[CLOSURE ALERT] Del Taco Shutters Atlanta Area Restaurant After Four Years

In an email to customers, Del Taco early Tuesday announced it had permanently closed its restaurant at 12996 Alpharetta Highway in Milton. The freestanding, approximately 2,700 square foot restaurant was built in 2015 and opened March 30, 2016. No explanation was given for the abrupt closure, but COVID-19 is not believed to have been a major factor.

Lake Forest, California-based Del Taco, which last year celebrated 55 years in business, has had mixed results in their latest return to metro Atlanta. The chain had previously opened locations in Atlanta in the 80s and 90s, but all had closed when the chain returned to metro Atlanta in 2012 with a restaurant along Scenic Highway in Snellville. In the years since, the chain has added more than a dozen franchise and corporately owned locations, with some performing well and others experiencing incredibly short lives.

Reviews on Yelp.com where the Milton location had a cumulative 2.5 star rating, suggest that it, like previously shuttered locations in Roswell and East Cobb, suffered from poor service, which in turn likely resulted in poor financial performance. One reviewer this past fall summed up his entire experience saying: "Del Taco puts the " Meh" in Mehx-ican."

Elsewhere around metro Atlanta, the company in recent months has opened new locations in Lawrenceville, Tucker and Buford, with a total of 21 other locations around the state.

In an email to members of the restaurant's Raving Fan E-Club entitled "Its So Hard To Say Goodbye," the company invited those that had frequented the Milton restaurant to instead patronize the Woodstock restaurant on Highway 92... nearly 18 miles away.

Are you surprised that Del Taco closed its Milton restaurant? What would you like to see open in place of Del Taco in Milton? Where would you like to see Del Taco open next?

10 comments:

I was one that got that email. No I'm not driving 18 miles away for tacos. They were very inconsistent. Sometimes you could get lunch in 5 minutes sometimes it took 65 minutes. I'm going to miss them but there are plenty of other options in the area!

Honestly I will say Del Taco was poorly managed because the one in Smyrna Georgia tasted really good when it first opened haven’t been back to one since I moved to Panama City Beach Florida sadly the closest ones to me are: Phenix City, Alabama and Orlando, Florida only? 😞 Dothan Alabama used to have one until it closed, all I know is depending who was cooking and who ran the locations, it definitely tastes better than Taco Bell. 😁 But either way after Covid 19 is over, that Del Taco will be replaced with a Culver’s, Bojangles, or Cookout more than likely! 🤔

I remembered Del Taco back in the late 70s ( I believe) . It wasnt that good back then and unfortunately, it's much of the same. When I first heard about their return,I was hoping that their food was going to be much improved.Most restaurants that start off bad/ mediocre at go up ..even if its just a notch.

The food and service at the Del Taco in Snellville is really top-notch. In fact, several levels above Taco Bell as well as many sit-down mexican restaurants. And it doesn't matter what time you go, you still have a wonderful experience. It all stems from having great people as staff. Don't know how they managed that in Snellville, but they did.

Corporate Del Taco should use this location as a boiler-plate for any of their locations.

That location was a total management issue. I am from CA and have gone to Del Taco since early 1980's. This Milton location would have thrived had they not tossed whomever applied in there as another noted. Was huge turn over and same management. Corporate could turn that location around if reopened and managed correctly.